During the [[Halloween feast]] on [[31 October]], [[1993]], the school ghosts provided the entertainment, as they did a bit of formation gliding. On his five-hundred and first Deathday, Sir Nicholas hosted a reenactment of his own beheading, which was deemed a success.<ref name="PA8">''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' - Chapter 8 (''Flight of the Fat Lady'')</ref>

+

During the [[Halloween feast]] on [[31 October]], [[1993]], the school ghosts provided the entertainment, as they did a bit of formation gliding. On his five-hundred and first Deathday, Sir Nicholas hosted a reenactment of his own beheading, which was deemed a success.

+

+

During most of the school year, Sir Nicholas sat with the Creevey brothers, Colin and Dennis.

+

+

<ref name="PA8">''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' - Chapter 8 (''Flight of the Fat Lady'')</ref>

====1994—1995 school year====

====1994—1995 school year====

{{Dialogue a-b-a|Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington|You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know. There was trouble in the kitchens earlier.|Harry Potter|Why? Wha' 'appened?|Peeves, of course. The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast — well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council — the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance — but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down.|Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington tells [[Harry Potter]], [[Ronald Weasley]] and [[Hermione Granger]] of the ghost council about [[Peeves]].|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}

{{Dialogue a-b-a|Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington|You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know. There was trouble in the kitchens earlier.|Harry Potter|Why? Wha' 'appened?|Peeves, of course. The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast — well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council — the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance — but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down.|Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington tells [[Harry Potter]], [[Ronald Weasley]] and [[Hermione Granger]] of the ghost council about [[Peeves]].|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}

[[File:Nick.png|right|200px|thumb|Sir Nicholas.]]

[[File:Nick.png|right|200px|thumb|Sir Nicholas.]]

−

In the afternoon of [[1 September]], [[1994]], the Hogwarts ghosts gathered to decide whether [[Peeves]] should be allowed to attend the [[Start-of-Term Feast]]. The [[Fat Friar]] wanted to give him another chance, but both Sir Nicholas and the [[Bloody Baron]] decided against it. As a result, [[Peeves]] wreaked havoc in the [[Hogwarts kitchens|kitchens]], spilling soup all over the place and scattering pots and pans everywhere. At the [[Start-of-Term Feast]], Sir Nicholas let this incident slip at the [[Gryffindor]] table, shocking [[Hermione Granger]] that "slave labour" made their dinner.<ref name="GF12">''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' - Chapter 12 (''The Triwizard Tournament'')</ref>

+

In the afternoon of [[1 September]], [[1994]], the Hogwarts ghosts gathered to decide whether [[Peeves]] should be allowed to attend the [[Start-of-Term Feast]]. The [[Fat Friar]] wanted to give him another chance, but both Sir Nicholas and the [[Bloody Baron]] decided against it. As a result, [[Peeves]] wreaked havoc in the [[Hogwarts kitchens|kitchens]], spilling soup all over the place and scattering pots and pans everywhere. At the [[Start-of-Term Feast]], Sir Nicholas let this incident slip at the [[Gryffindor]] table, shocking [[Hermione Granger]] that "slave labour" made their dinner.<ref name="GF12">''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' - Chapter 12 (''The Triwizard Tournament'')</ref>

====1995—1996 school year====

====1995—1996 school year====

Revision as of 02:43, November 3, 2012

"Point me!"

This article is about the Gryffindor ghost. You may be looking for the Alchemist, Nicolas Flamel.

"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years. I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

Sir Nicholas met Lady Grieve while strolling in the park on the evening of 30 October, 1492. She was certain he could straighten her crooked teeth, but his attempt to do so backfired, causing her to grow a tusk.[7]

Sir Nicholas was immediately taken into custody and sentenced to death as a result of this mistake. Before being locked in a dungeon, his wand was taken from him, thus preventing him from using magic to escape.[4] Throughout the night he cried that he would soon undo the damage done to Lady Grieve.[7]

Sir Nicholas's neck, after his botched beheading.

A priest came to Sir Nicholas's cell to comfort him and escort him to the execution site at dawn the following day. He became a "gibbering wreck" when the executioner told him to kneel before the block. However, the executioner's axe was blunt, as the grindstone used to sharpen it had been misplaced. Thus, it took forty-five hacks to kill Sir Nicholas, and even then his head was only partially severed.[7]

Post-mortem

"I was afraid of death. I chose to remain behind. I sometimes wonder whether I oughtn't to have… well, that is neither here nor there… in fact, I am neither here nor there… I know nothing of the secrets of death, Harry, for I chose my feeble imitation of life instead."

—Sir Nicholas tells Harry Potter of how he chose to remain among the living after his death.[src]

1991—1992 school year

"So — new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable — he's the Slytherin ghost."

At the feast, Sir Nicholas sat opposite Harry Potter and patted his arm when the latter was Sorted into Gryffindor. He later introduced himself, and showed the result of his botched beaheading, his chopped neck, when Seamus Finnigan wondered how could someone be Nearly Headless.[2]

In 1992, Sir Nicholas tried to join for the Headless Hunt, although his application was denied by Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore, who only accepted huntsmen "whose heads have parted company with their bodies". Nick was embittered that "half an inch of skin and sinew" connecting his head and neck was not good enough to qualify as "beheaded".[1]

Later in the year, on 18 December, 1992, Sir Nicholas was Petrified on one of the Castle's corridors, along with Justin Finch-Fletchley.[12] Sir Nicholas saved Justin's life by taking the brunt of the Basilisk's otherwise-lethal gaze, with Justin seeing the basilisk through Nick rather than being directly exposed to its vision; Nick received the full blast of its power, but as a ghost it was naturally impossible for him to die again.[13] Justin was carried up to the hospital wing by Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Sir Nicholas. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan and gave it to Ernie Macmillan with instructions to waft the ghost up the stairs.[12]

1993—1994 school year

"The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading."

During the Halloween feast on 31 October, 1993, the school ghosts provided the entertainment, as they did a bit of formation gliding. On his five-hundred and first Deathday, Sir Nicholas hosted a reenactment of his own beheading, which was deemed a success.

During most of the school year, Sir Nicholas sat with the Creevey brothers, Colin and Dennis.

1994—1995 school year

Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington: "You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know. There was trouble in the kitchens earlier."

Harry Potter: "Why? Wha' 'appened?"

Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington: "Peeves, of course. The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast — well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council — the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance — but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down."

1996—1997 school year

Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington: "There has been much talk on that very subject even amongst the ghosts. I am considered something of a Potter authority; it is widely known that we are friendly. I have assured the spirit community that I will not pester you for information, however. 'Harry Potter knows that he can confide in me with complete confidence,' I told them. 'I would rather die than betray his trust.' "

Physical appearance

Sir Nicholas shows his partially severed neck.

"Pearly white and semitransparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and insuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck."

As a ghost, Sir Nicholas was pearly-white and slightly transparent.[2] He had long curly hair.[1] He would usually sport a ruff, which would ensure his partially severed head stayed in place,[1] as well as tights,[2] a pair of breeches,[3] a doublet[16] or, occasionally, a tunic.[1] He had a preference for extravagant plumed hats.[1][8] He also sported a small moustache and goatee.[3] He carried himself in a prim fashion[6] and spoke in an airy,[1] delicate tone.[2]

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Nick says he had not eaten in nearly 400 years. Yet he had, at the time, already been dead for nearly 500 years. In later editions this was changed to "in nearly five hundred years".

It should be noted that Sir Nicholas's clothes do not match the time period he's said to be from. The ruff, doublet and breeches did not come into fashion until the sixteenth century and are mostly associated with the reign of Elizabeth I. This would be more consistent with earlier versions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in which Sir Nicholas claims to have been dead for four hundred years.

While most of the Hogwarts students call him "Nearly Headless Nick", he prefers the more formal "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington" or "Sir Nicholas". But Harry also calls him Nick.

Although Nick claims that he has never been guilty of cowardice in his life, he also claims to have broken down sobbing when they told him that he would die.

He also admits to not being as brave as Sirius Black; Nick chose to become a ghost because he feared death, but Sirius would have "gone on" in Nick's own words.

It is unknown as to how he recovered from petrification by the Basilisk since he is unable to drink potions.

Professor Dumbledore explains in his notes on "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" that muggle executions of wizards such as Sir Nicholas are rarely successful, given that wizards can magically protect themselves and escape. Sir Nicholas had his wand taken away, however, and was unable to leave his dungeon cell.

In the PS1 versions of the first two video games he is seen wearing a high hat, and his head constantly falls off to the side.

Etymology

Nicholas is from the Greek Nikolaos, "victory of the people." Nick is a jokey, ironic nickname and pun -- one definition of nick is "to cut slightly," and he received more than just a little cut when he was beheaded. Sir indicates he was knighted by a British monarch when he was alive. Porpington is a name Rowling made up and is closest to porpentine, an obsolete name for a porcupine. "Like quills upon the fretful porpentine...": From Shakespeare's Hamlet. Nick is a prickly-tempered person at times. Mimsy may have come from the same word coined by Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll. It appears in his nonsense poem "The Jabberwocky": "All mimsy were the borogoves..."